Bridgeport Music Teacher Named Connecticut's Teacher Of The Year

A music teacher at Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport has been named the Connecticut Teacher of the Year.

Sheena Graham is the choir director at Warren Harding, while also teaching black history chorale, peer leadership, theatre, piano, and performing arts.

Graham graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from Western Connecticut State University and earned master’s degrees from St. Joseph University and Southern Connecticut State University.

The Ansonia native has taught in the Bridgeport public school system since 1983.

At the surprise announcement Tuesday at Warren Harding, Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dianna Wentzell called Graham a “role model for other teachers.”

“She loves seeing students discover their passions, develop their voice, create community connections, and see that they have the ability to impact others positively,” said Wentzell.

Sheena Graham said she is humbled by the award, and thanked her students for teaching her become a better educator.

“Some of the lessons I've learned are that sometimes my way is not always the best way, and definitely not the only way to complete a given task,” said Graham. “More importantly, it's OK to make a mistake, apologize, laugh, cry and be imperfect.”

Graham is a two-time winner of the Bridgeport Teacher of the Year. She will represent Connecticut for the 2019 National Teacher of the Year Award.

According to a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national organization supporting families and the communities they live in, 22,000 of Connecticut’s children have parents that are 18-24 years old. 70 percent of those children belong to low-income households.